Metal container



July 27; 1937. c. E. McMANUs 2,087,954

METAL CONTAINER X original Filed March 14, 19:54

Patented July 27, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENTV OFFICE' 2,087,954 METAL CONTAINER Application March 14, 1934, Serial No. 715,537 Renewed December 17, 1936 1 claim.

, My invention relates to containers, -particularly receptacles formed from relatively thin sheet metal and adapted for the -retail distribution of milk and milk products. The container is char- 5 acterized by having a closing end provided with an integral pouring spout and a detachable and replaceable sealing cap.

It has heretofore been suggested that milk and milk products may be packaged in metal containers, and this practice isI carried on commercially in connection with condensed milks. As to the latter, a commercial tin can is employed having similar flat ends, and two or more punctures must necessarily. be made in one end of the can, in

l5 order to permit the milk to pour. Thereafter,

such punctures or openings necessitate that the milk within the container be exposed, which isv frequently objectionable, as where but small 'portions of the contents areused from time to time.

There are definite problems involved in producing a receptacle of relatively thin sheet metal useful as a package. for normal vmilk as well as condensed milk and having a pouring spout and separable sealingv cap. It is desirable that the package be manufactured at small expense in order that it may be discarded after the contents jars to which thenlled receptacles are subjected -in normal transportation and handling. For example, the containerof the present invention is adapted for use following a procedure known as bottom filling, i. e., the top is applied to the container,thereafter the container is filled and. then the bottom is applied. Under such practice, it is necessz'iry that the top closing end be rigid to supportthe contents, and also strong enough to withstand thestrains incident to application of the. bottom after the container has been lled. l

Somewhat similar arduous conditions prevail where the container lis top-filled by means of suitable filling machinery and then capped with an automatic capping apparatus. The container of this invention may be satisfactorily used with such procedure.

Again, itis customary to rapidly movethe lled and unfilled containers through the plant by machinery and the subsequent handling and transportation of the product is accompanied by much rough treatment. This is evidenced by the breakage of glass containers in large numbers at the present time. Consequently, the value of a metallic receptacle which is resistant to distor- 5 tion and thoroughly liquid proof is readily understood.

An important feature of the present invention resides in having the closing end constituting the top of the container manufactured as a unit. 10 Such container top comprises a metallic flange which is relatively flat, and which has a preferably centrally disposed integral pouring spout adapted to receive the detachable closure cap. The pouring spout is formed by drawing the metal 15 centrally of the flange upwardly along Acurved lines producing a continuous concavely curved upstanding wall, defining an opening, extending entirely above the plane of the flange.

The wall of the spout is concavely curved from 20 end to end and is flared inwardly with respect to the flange at its lower end, thereby producing a relatively enlarged entrant opening. 'I'he spout is continuously curved inwardly, and then outwardly at the upper free end so as towproduce 25 an outwardly flared portion of relativelyreduced diameter. The radius of curvature of the inwardly flared portion of the spout or wall and the length of its arc are greater than Vthe radius of curvature and the arc of the outwardly flared 30 free or pouring end of the spout or wall. This is important, in that both the flange and spout are thereby stiiened and strengthened. Briefly, by reason vparticularly of the relatively long radius of curvature of the inwardlyflared portion, form- 35 ing in effect a continuous arch, the flat, circumferential area of the flange is reduced relative to the arched Wall and rigidilied. The entrant portion of the spout opening, moreover, is given an enlarged diameter which is gradually reduced 40 along arch-like lines to the minor diameter of the spout wall. The outwardly flared upper por tion of'the spout is vcontinued from this minor v diameter on a curve -which is of less radius than that a closure cap may be applied by means of 55 automatic machinery and prized off without distorting the flange or destroying either the seal or the utility of the spout. Moreover, this rigidifying of the closing end of the container enables the closing end unit consisting of the flange, in-

. tegral spout and sealing cap to be applied to the ers.

The flange and 'wall are smooth and unobstructed so that there are neither weakened areas or creases in which accumulations of product may collect.

The free, outwardly flared end of the wall or neck of the top is preferably folded over to stifen the edge of the wall and also to^form a finish for receiving a detachable sealing cap. For

example, I use an ordinary crimped or crown cap which will flt over the folded portion or bead and 'provide an efficient tight seal. Also, I use a cap wherein the flange is pressed or ironed over the flared portion and bead of the spout or neck to form the seal.

I find that by reason of the rigidity of the closing end or top and its integral upstanding wall adetachable cap,` such as a crown cap or a pressed-over cap, may be applied by suitable capping machinery, and ywill eciently seal the container during the filling and closing operations, as well as remain fluid-tight, notwithstanding unusual handling conditions and transportation.

Preferably vthe detachable cap will be one of suillcient flexibility that it may be reapplied continuously to the .container until the contents are exhausted, and at all times maintain the contents sealed.

The top closing end unit, therefore, will comprise the flange with its integral upstanding wall or pouring opening and the detachable cap applied thereto. 'I'his top or closing end will be manufactured as a unit and have the cap and flange suitably decorated, and may be supplied independently of the receptacle body portion. No additional machinery is required to apply the top to the body portion, the -closing end being A Figure 2 is an elevation of the container of the' present invention with the closing end or top applied and with the container in reverse position forbottom fllling with the bottom disconnected;

Figure 3 is a sectional view showing the container top applied to the body portion ofthe container, the latter being broken away; and

Figure 4 is a detail view in side elevation of a top or closing end unit.

The receptacle comprises a body portion I0, a top closing end unit II, including a detachable closure cap I3 afllxed to the top and assembled therewith, and a bottom I2.

All of these parts are preferably made of relatively thin sheet metal and the container may be circular as' shown, or square, hexagonal or any desired angular form.

The bodyl portion III will be folded in the usual manner to produce a cylinder having its free. ends joined by a seam I4. The upper and lower edges of the cylinder are provided with the usual flanges I5 and I6 for engagement with flange portions 22 'and 26 on the top closing end II and bottom I2 respectively. 'I'hese parts are all united in any suitable conventional manner.

The metal forming the various parts of the container may be externally decorated as desired and internally will be thoroughly aseptic so as to reduce to a minimum any possibility of contamination.

The top closing end I I is produced as a unit, as best shown in Figure 4.- 'Ihis unit comprises a flange II, as shown in Figures 1 and 3, which is a suitable drawing operation into an upstand- 3 ing continuous neck or wall defining an opening and forming a 4pouring spout adapted to receive a detachable closure. This neck or wall is concavely curved, i. e., drawn along curved lines from end to end, and as shown at I8, inwardly flared with relation to the flange VII to merge therewith. By drawing the metal of the flange, the neck or wall can be completed by a single operation and of particular importance the `flange I 1 is stiflened and strengthened. 'Ihe 4neck or wall is continuously curved inwardly as at I9 along arch-like linesand at its free end is flared outwardly as at 20. By producing a concavely curved neck or wall, 'this latter is likewise stiflened and reinforced. A portion of the metal at the flared free end of the neck or wall is folded or rolled inwardly to form a bead 2|, whence the neck is provided with a finish for receiving the sealing or closure cap I3 and likewise the neck is thickened and strengthened. While I have indicated the bead as being in the form of. a tube, the metal Inay be kfolded to lie flat against the wall of the neck and may be either in-folded or out-folded.

It will be noted that the neck is concavely curved from end to end, and that at its lower end adjacent the flange it is inwardly flared and arch-like and at its outer end outwardly flared, the neck being curvilinear in cross section. The curvature of the inwardly flared portion I8 is on a radius greater than the radius of curvature Vof the outwardly flared portion 20. The arcuate dimension of the inwardly .flared portion I8 is greater than the arc of the outwardly flared portion 20 and the diameter of the outwardly flared portion is less than. that at the entrant portion of the spout or wall. The diameter of the spout or wall is gradually decreased on an arch-like curve vfrom said entrant portion to a minimum diameter,

tortion by the continuous archlike Wall of the spout. For example, the diameter of the flange I1 for a particular container prior to aflixing. the

unit to the can body will be substantially three and one-quarter (31A) inches and the largest diameter at vthe entrant opening of the spout will be two and onehalf (2l/2) inches. In this manner substantially sixty to seventy per cent of the metal of theclosing end is utilized in forming the spout and without sacrificing the strength of the ilange, but rather rigidifying the same. This is due to the continuous arch provided by the inwardly ilared portion of the spout wall. Likewise, the spout is rigidied and the outwardly flared portion which maybe formed as a finishto receive a detachable-closure of the l crimped o-r pressed-on type is strengthened.

The dimensional characteristics and contour 4of the pouring spout or wall, it will be observed,

are of vital importance, in that the application,

of acrimped or pressed-over cap may be applied to the spout without distorting or collapsing the same or the ange I1, or the container body, and

by the usual capping machinery. Moreover, the

outwardly flared portion partially overlies the inwardly flared area of the wall opening, so that when the cap is applied there is presented a space for the insertion of a prizing tool to remove the cap. Also, the provision of a strengthened closing end and spout is important where bottomfilling and closing procedure is resorted to, sinceA outlet thereof.

It is also to be noted that the entrant area of the opening defined by the flared portion I8 is relatively enlarged, insuring that all of the contents will be discharged from the container.

The closing end unit I I (Figure 4) includes the sealing cap I3 which is assembled therewith and may be a crimped cap, as shown in Figure 4, or a pressed-over cap having its 'flange ironed around the bead 2I and flared'portion 20, as shown in Figure 3. If desired, the finish of the neck or spout may ber made to receive a cap having in- .ward projections on its skirt, such as a lug cap,

or the finish may `have a continuous thread to receive a closure, th'e skirt of which is formed with a similar thread. The cap preferably has a flat face 23 so that when the container is reversed for the bottom filling operation, as shown in Figure 2, it will lie flat on the usual conveyor. Thesealing cap I3 is detachable and of such character that it may be removed and reused until the contents are exhausted. -In prying ol lused once.

vpreparatory to bottom filling.

the cap the wall or neck is somewhat distorted, as will also be true of the cap, but this distortion normally will not interfere with the reforming of the seal with the same cap, although it very definitely indicates that the container has been opened and therefore it will now be impossible to use the container as a new package without detection. This is important, because it is one of the purposes of the invention to provide a container which must be discarded after it has been The sealing cap 23 will comprise the usual skirt 24 and sealing liner 25 as shown in Figure 3.

. While I have referred to a cap which may be pried off, any other suitable cap may be used, but I prefer one which is capable of being reapplied until the contents are exhausted and which will form a satisfactory seal at all times.

The unit II therefore comprises the flange I.'l

which is stiffened and reinforced by the arch-like -to any purchasers who are provided with metal container making machinery. In such cases, the closing end top II is applied without change or alteration in such machinery.

Referring to Figure 2, I have illustrated the body portion I0 having the closing end unit affixed thereto and the container in reversed position The reinforced structure of the unit II is such as to permit bottom filling to take place'without danger ofA distorting either the closing end or the body portion. bottom I2 is applied yin the usual manner and the product is ready for transportation.

As a new article of manufacture, a package comprising a sheet metal body of substantially tubular form, a bottom wall secured to said body,

a top wall secured to said body, said top wall having a substantially central pouring-and filling opening relatively small with respect to the body and surrounded by a neck drawn from said top wall, the neck adjacent its top being deflected outwardly to form an external circumferentially extending shoulder providing a locking shoulder for a crown cap and the edge of the top wall around said opening being curled into a continuous bead and folded at its raw edge to form an inwardly projecting sealing lip to coact with a crown cap and provide radial resistance to the crimping pressure required for applying a cap, said top wall sloping downwardly and outwardly away from said locking shoulder toward and to the body whereby to transmit axially-direr'ztedA crowning pressures to the body wall along lines After the container has been filled the uniformly distributed around and at angles to the. container axis, and a crown cap having a crimped continuous -skirt forced into interlocking engagement with said external shoulder.

CHARLES E. MCMAN US. 

